The Communal Table.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Let’s take a look at today’s lesson

This is an English lesson from National Geographic Learning. With the English language programs, you learn about the world by experiencing it.

Lesson Key: (L) = Listening (U) = Understanding. (R) = Reading.

Please listen to the audio and follow along with the reading text.

Milpa Alta is a region to the south of Mexico City. It has a famous volcano – Teuhtli – and twelve villages and towns. Milpa Alta is also famous for a traditional meal every Christmas, called La Rejunta. The meal is part of the Christmas celebrations and it feeds huge numbers of people. The cooks make about sixty thousand tamales.

Tamales are made from corn and have different fillings. They also make about fifteen thousand litres of hot chocolate. They make all of this food and drink in less than one week.

The meal is one of the activities for people who go on a walk to the cave of El Señor de Chalma. It’s an important place for people from the region at Christmas. The cave is about eighty kilometres away and the walk begins on the 3rd of January. About 20,000 people go on the walk each year. That’s 20,000 hungry people!

Every year, the organisers of the meal change. This year, Virginia Meza Torres and her husband Fermín Lara Jiménez are the organisers, or majordomos. They waited for 14 years to do this. Lots of people want to organise the meal because it’s a very important tradition. They put their names on a list. At the moment, the list has names for every year until 2046.

The preparation for the meal takes a whole year. At the start of the year, men collect wood from the forest. They store it near the home of the majordomos so that it will be dry and ready to use. The wood burns in the fires that they use to cook the food. The farmers in the area grow the ingredients for the meal, such as corn, meat and vegetables. Everything is natural; there’s no ready-made food. Lots of volunteers help to cook and serve the meal.

Tradition is very important to the people of Milpa Alta, and one of the most important activities is eating together. One woman, Josefina García Jiménez, says that sitting together at the table shows love to your family. Everybody stays at the table after the meal finishes and they talk, tell stories and laugh together. At Christmas, La Rejunta is like a huge family meal.

Here Is A Table With Keywords From The Text, Meanings, And Example Sentences.

Word	Meaning	Example of Use
cave (n)	A very big hole in the side of a mountain or under the ground	We explored the dark cave during our hiking trip.
filling (n)	The food that is inside a sandwich or cake, for example	The sandwich had a delicious chicken and avocado filling.
huge (adj)	Very big	The new shopping mall is huge, with over 200 stores.
ingredient (n)	One of the different types of food you need to make a dish	Sugar is a common ingredient in many dessert recipes.
list (n)	Names, numbers, or items written one below another	I need to make a shopping list before going to the supermarket.
preparation (n)	The process of making something ready to happen in the future	The preparation for the festival took several months.
region (n)	A part of a country	The wine from this region is known for its exceptional quality.
tradition (n)	Something that people have done for a long time as part of their culture or way of life	Decorating the Christmas tree is a family tradition.
volunteer (n)	Someone who does a job because they want to and without being paid	She became a volunteer at the local animal shelter.
walk (n)	A journey you make on foot, usually for pleasure	We went for a walk in the park to enjoy the sunny weather.

Reading comprehension:
choose the correct option for your answer.

Where is Milpa Alta located?

A) North of Mexico City
B) South of Mexico City
C) East of Mexico City
D) West of Mexico City

What is Teuhtli?

A) A river
B) A mountain
C) A volcano
D) A cave

How many villages and towns are in Milpa Alta?

A) Ten
B) Eleven
C) Twelve
D) Thirteen

What traditional meal is served every Christmas in Milpa Alta?

A) Tacos
B) Tamales
C) Enchiladas
D) Burritos

How many tamales are made for the Christmas meal?

A) 50,000
B) 60,000
C) 70,000
D) 80,000

How many litres of hot chocolate are made for the Christmas meal?

A) 10,000
B) 12,000
C) 15,000
D) 20,000

When does the walk to the cave of El Señor de Chalma begin?

A) 1st of January
B) 2nd of January
C) 3rd of January
D) 4th of January

How long did Virginia Meza Torres and her husband wait to become organisers of the meal?

A) 10 years
B) 12 years
C) 14 years
D) 16 years

Until what year is the list of future organisers of the meal currently filled?

A) 2040
B) 2042
C) 2044
D) 2046

According to Josefina García Jiménez, what does sitting together at the table show?

A) Respect
B) Gratitude
C) Love
D) Friendship

Answers

Grammar practice:
Choose the correct option, at or on.

1 We always visit our families ______ Christmas.
2 Where are you working AT the moment?
3 Can you write bread ______ the shopping list, please.
4 The classes start ______ 7th September.
5 The classes start ______ five o’clock.
6 We moved house ______ the start of the week.
7 How many people are sitting ______ the table?
8 Please put the plates ______ the table.
9 The village is very quiet ______ night.
10 I usually buy a newspaper ON my walk to work.

Grammar practice:
Choose the correct option, to or for.

1 They use fires TO cook the food.
2 The farmers grow the vegetables ______ the meal.
3 They make tamales FOR the villagers.
4 They go to the cave ______ celebrate a tradition.
5 They collect wood ______ make a fire.
6 They get together ______ talk and laugh.
7 We bought some sandwiches ______ a picnic.
8 I did a lot of preparation ______ my exam.

Source e Fotos: nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/communal-table/